Scotland

Chicago seems to be, at least to me, a city that inspires very few middle-of-the-road feelings. What I mean by that is simply that people either seem to love or loathe the place. It just depends on who you talk to.

Why bother going out and spending money on fake spider webs to give your place a spooky look when a few money spiders can do it for you?

The photo above shows a rainbow in the sky above the Isle of Mull, the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides (after Skye), off the west coast of Scotland. Looks pretty nice, doesn't it? Don't let the photo fool you. The Isle of Mull, along with the rest of Scotland, is getting slammed by 70-80 mph winds (with gusts above 90) courtesy of Storm Henry...

The image above was taken yesterday at Abergeldie Castle, near the Queen's residence in Balmoral. As you can see, the 450 year old castle, once rented by the royal family, is very close to tipping over into the River Dee, which is swollen with flood waters...

A referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country takes place this coming Thursday, and many famous and important people (including the Queen herself) have weighed in with their thoughts, both pro and con. However, if you're like me, and I know I am, you've been waiting for someone who is a bit more animated in his opinions...